EMPORIA, KS - Four different Bears will be making a trip to Emporia, Kansas, in a week to take part in the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships.

Tobechukwu Nwokocha and Havyn Spain earned bids on the men's side while Sharonda Priester and Mackenzie Pringle qualified on the women's side. 

Tobechukwu Nwokocha qualified in the long jump and will be making his second consecutive national championship appearance after finishing as the national runner-up at the Indoor National Championships in Virginia Beach. He is seeded seventh with a leap of 7.61m (24-11.75), a mark he hit at Lenoir-Rhyne's Southside Power & Fitness Invitational on April 10th. Havyn Spain will be making his second consecutive NCAA Championships 200 meter dash appearance after finishing third at the Indoor Championships in March. The sophomore ran a time of 20.75 at Vertklasse in April. Spain also competed in outdoor nationals last year, qualifying in the 400. 

Sharonda Priester is the highest ranked of the Lenoir-Rhyne qualifiers. She is seeded second in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 47.70. That time not only broke the school record, it also makes her the 22nd fastest 400m hurdler in NCAA DII history. Mackenzie Pringle is the lone Bear to qualify in multiple events. She is seeded 10th in the triple jump thanks to a leap of 12.43m (40-9.50) at the SAC Championships. She is familiar with the national stage in the triple jump, taking sixth at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March. The former NAIA All-American also qualified in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 13.75. That time ranks second in program history and makes her the 19th ranked individual in that event. 

Schedule of Events

Thursday, May 21

• 3:30 PM ET - Men's Long Jump (Final)
• 8:55 PM ET - Women's 400m Hurdles (Prelim)

Friday, May 22

• 5:45 PM ET - Women's Triple Jump (Final)
• 6:30 PM ET - Men's 200m Dash (Prelim)

Saturday, May 23

• 6:50 PM ET - Women's 400m Hurdles (Final) 
• 7:10 PM ET - Men's 200m Dash (Final)